To the editor:

The week of March 24, 2003, will go down as one of the most memorable in the history of Lawrence.

Our Jayhawks are winners!

Our city commissioners are winners!

At their March 25 meeting, commissioners agreed to provide leadership in bringing together those support services needed to provide shelter to rehabilitate and to restore broken lives.

Mayor Sue Hack spoke most eloquently on these matters and will appoint a task force to address them.

Our civic organizations have done so much to make Lawrence the gentle, pleasant place it is today.

Several of the goals we envision for our homeless are also those of the powerful 1,600-member strong Lawrence Chamber of Commerce.

Years ago, when James Naismith punched the bottom from the peach basket, could he ever have envisioned the nationally known Jayhawks and how the game has evolved?

Hack and the commissioners have started with a dream just as did Dr. Naismith, oh, so long ago.

Not since the late Petey Cerf gave the Ballard Center to Lawrence to further humanitarian causes, has hope held such promise for those in need.

We hope that, someday, each person in this city will have ’round-the-clock shelter.

May it someday be said of us, “Lawrence not only has a most winning team, but we have the most caring community as well.”

Mary Siegrist, Lawrence